South Africa Seals Lowest Dollar-Borrowing Costs Yet in Sale

South Africa Seals Lowest Dollar-Borrowing Costs Yet in Sale

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa achieved its lowest borrowing costs yet for dollar-denominated debt, taking advantage of demand for emerging-market debt to raise $3 billion as rating companies prepare to review the country’s creditworthiness. In its second foray into international debt markets this year, the country sold $2 billion of 12-year notes and $1 billion of 30-year securities with investors in Asia, Europe and the U.S. who placed orders for 2.5 times the amount,…

Read More

South Africa’s Rand Shows a Little Local Strife Can’t Derail Emerging Gains

South Africa’s Rand Shows a Little Local Strife Can’t Derail Emerging Gains

JOHANNESBURG, Capital Markets in Africa: For evidence that fundamentals hardly matter in today’s world of easy money, look no further than the rand. In a quarter marked by a political feud between South Africa’s president and his finance minister, stagnant growth and mounting concern that the country may lose its investment-level credit status, the rand returned 11 percent for investors selling the dollar to chase higher yields — more than twice as much as its next-best peer….

Read More

Indian Summer Comes to Emerging Markets as Fed Spurs Fresh Gains

Indian Summer Comes to Emerging Markets as Fed Spurs Fresh Gains

LAGOS, Capital Markets in Africa: The Federal Reserve has given fresh impetus to emerging markets. As Russia joined Argentina in announcing Eurobond sales, stocks from Istanbul to Johannesburg rallied at least 1.6 percent, South Africa’s rand extended its longest winning streak since 2013 and Standard Chartered Plc recommended buying the lira, this quarter’s worst-performing major currency outside of Latin America. Pledges to keep monetary policy accommodative from the Fed and Bank of Japan this week have emboldened the…

Read More

Lafarge Africa raises 60 bln naira in bond issues

Lafarge Africa raises 60 bln naira in bond issues

LAGOS, Capital Markets in Africa: Lafarge Africa said on Thursday it has raised 60 billion naira ($184 million) by issuing three and five-year bonds through book building. The local unit of the world’s biggest cement maker, LafargeHolcim, issued a three-year bond at 14.25 percent to raise 26.38 billion naira and sold a five-year bond at 14.75 percent to fetch 33.62 billion naira, it said in a statement. The cement and clinker mixer said in April…

Read More

Kenyan Bond Yields at 14-Month Lows as Rate Cap Hurts Stocks

Kenyan Bond Yields at 14-Month Lows as Rate Cap Hurts Stocks

NAIROBI, Capital Markets in Africa: Yields on Kenyan government bonds dropped to the lowest in 14 months after a new law capping interest rates charged by commercial banks sparked a stock market slump, sending investors scurrying for the safety of fixed-income securities. Kenyan shilling debt has returned 6.7 percent this quarter, compared with the 3.9 percent average return of high-yield local-currency sovereign debt monitored by Bloomberg. The benchmark stock index plunged 9.2 percent in the…

Read More

Emerging-Market Volatility Near Brexit Level Before Fed, BoJ

Emerging-Market Volatility Near Brexit Level Before Fed, BoJ

LAGOS, Capital Markets in Africa: Volatility in emerging markets hovered near the highest level since June as traders awaited verdicts on monetary policy from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index rose 0.1 percent to 898.61 as of 10:37 a.m. in New York after falling as much as 0.1 percent. Equity benchmarks in the Philippines and Qatar gained at least 1 percent, while measures in Russia, Turkey and India retreated. South…

Read More

Emerging Markets Bounce Back as Fed Seen Holding Rates Steady

Emerging Markets Bounce Back as Fed Seen Holding Rates Steady

LAGOS, Capital Markets in Africa: Emerging-market stocks rebounded from their biggest weekly drop in four months as optimism that the Federal Reserve will delay raising U.S. interest rates rekindled risk demand. Taiwan’s benchmark equity index jumped the most in a year on speculation demand for Apple Inc.’s latest iPhone model will boost earnings for the island’s suppliers. Hungarian bonds rose for a second day as S&P Global Ratings upgraded the country to investment grade. Russia’s ruble and…

Read More
1 2 3 4 6